Pernstejn Castle

Pernstejn grew by accretion. A Gothic core on a rock ridge was extended and re-extended by the family that took its name from the place, and later owners added Renaissance detail without knocking the old work down, so the result is a tall, pale, irregular pile of towers, bays and bridges rather than a designed composition. Covered wooden walkways run between parts of it at height, and the interiors move from bare vaulted rooms to panelled libraries. It was never taken by siege, which is part of why so much medieval fabric survives here. The castle stands above the meeting of two river valleys in wooded hills, with formal terraces cut into the slope below the walls.

What you actually see

• The linked towers - covered walkways and bridges connecting parts of the castle at height.
• The Gothic interiors - vaulted halls and stairs left largely without later remodelling.
• The library - the panelled room shown on the longer guided route.
• The terraced gardens - formal levels cut into the wooded slope below the walls.

When to go

May to September, when the longer tour routes and the gardens are open; winter opening drops to weekends or closes entirely. Tours are timed and small, and summer weekends sell out by midday, so book or arrive early. The walk up from Nedvedice station takes about half an hour, uphill the whole way.

Honest expectations

Access is by guided tour only, in Czech unless an English group has been arranged, and the routes are long. Parts of the castle have been under restoration for years following fire damage, so sections may be closed without warning. The approach road is narrow and parking is limited on busy days.

Nearby

The Vir reservoir lies upstream in the same valley, and Brno is under an hour to the south.